Blisland
Encyclopedia
Blisland is a village and civil parish in Cornwall
, England
, United Kingdom
. It is approximately five miles northeast of Bodmin
. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 565.
The parish is entirely rural in character, the northeast being moorland and the southwest lower lying farmland. The parish is bordered to the north by St Breward
parish; to the west by St Mabyn
and Helland
parishes; to the south by Cardinham
, Warleggan
, and St Neot parishes; and to the northeast by Altarnun
parish.
Blisland is sometimes said to be the only village in Cornwall with a village green, however Herodsfoot
and Talskiddy
are others.
land meaning estate, the first element is however obscure. Ekwall mentions forms such as Bloiston from documents 1177-1198 and suggests that the first element is the same as in Blisland (with -ton as suffix) and that it is the original Celtic name (etym. dub.). Charles Henderson
in the Cornish Church Guide mentioned the older form as Bliston, thought to mean Heath-Town. In Domesday Book
(1086) the manor is entered as Gluston and so probably it was really Bluston from Anglo-Saxon times to the 12th century: then by 1284 the new 'Blisland' form was adopted.
; and on Hawkstor Down
a henge monument the Stripple stones
. Blisland Manor House is 16th century with later alterations; Lavethan House mid-17th century; and the house at Trewardale 1773, enlarged 1839. Lavethan house (1653) incorporates parts of the 15th century. The archway was brought from another site. Early clapper bridges at Bradford and Poleys Bridge (on the River Camel
) built of granite in 1839 are also noteworthy. Blisland Manor was in the hands of the family of Billing for many years: they were also landowners at St Breward
and elsewhere. Trehudreth was the seat of the family of Lean among whose members was Sir John Maclean (originally John Lean). Trewardale is the seat of the family of Edward-Collins amongst whose members were General Charles Edward-Collins, High Sheriff of Cornwall
and Brigadier Thurstan Edward-Collins.
Langdon (1896) records twelve stone crosses in the parish, of which one is at St Pratt's Well and four at Lavethan.
The parish church (Norman with some later mediaeval work) is dedicated to Saints Hyacinth and Protus. (Locally the saint would be called St Pratt rather than Protus.) Dr Sidney J. Madge published in 1950 a good account of the church and its two patron saints entitled Blisland Church and its Patron Saints; a 2nd edition was issued in 1965 with a preface by John Betjeman
. Charles Henderson, writing in the Cornish Church Guide (1925) suggests that Lavethan (formerly Lanedewen) may record the original dedication of the church since the second element may be St Adwen (patron of Advent
). The present form of the dedication relies on identifying the St Pratt of tradition with St Protus Martyr.
The extensive restoration
includes work by Ninian Comper
and F. C. Eden. According to Betjeman: "As a restoration and even improvement on a medieval church, this holy and peaceful place ... can hardly be bettered in the kingdom." In the church is the early 15th century brass of John Balsam, formerly rector here.
St Catherine's Church, Temple
At Temple
is the church of St Catherine, originally also a parish church, but the parish of Temple was merged with Blisland in 1934.
Blisland Primary School
Blisland School is located just outside Blisland in a hamlet named Waterloo on the edge of Bodmin Moor.
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is approximately five miles northeast of Bodmin
Bodmin
Bodmin is a civil parish and major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the centre of the county southwest of Bodmin Moor.The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character...
. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 565.
The parish is entirely rural in character, the northeast being moorland and the southwest lower lying farmland. The parish is bordered to the north by St Breward
St Breward
St Breward is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the western side of Bodmin Moor approximately 6 miles north of Bodmin.The parish name derives from Saint Branwalader...
parish; to the west by St Mabyn
St Mabyn
St Mabyn is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is situated three miles east of Wadebridge....
and Helland
Helland
Helland is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated 2½ miles north of Bodmin. The meaning of the name Helland is unclear: it is possible that the origin is in Cornish hen & lan...
parishes; to the south by Cardinham
Cardinham
Cardinham is a civil parish and a village in central Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately three-and-a-half miles , east-northeast of Bodmin....
, Warleggan
Warleggan
Warleggan is a civil parish on the southern edge of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.The parish is roughly oblong in shape with hamlets near the church and at Mount. The River Warleggan, a tributary of the River Fowey, runs through the parish, forming its western boundary in places...
, and St Neot parishes; and to the northeast by Altarnun
Altarnun
Altarnun is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is located on the north-eastern edge of Bodmin Moor at .The parish of Altarnun includes the village of Fivelanes and the hamlets of Bolventor, Treween and Trewint, and had a population of 976 according to the 2001 census...
parish.
Blisland is sometimes said to be the only village in Cornwall with a village green, however Herodsfoot
Herodsfoot
Herodsfoot is a village in southeast Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately four miles southwest of Liskeard and five miles north of Looe at a point where two tributaries of the West Looe river join....
and Talskiddy
Talskiddy
Talskiddy is a small village about two miles north of St Columb Major in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Originally a manorial settlement belonging to the Earldom of Cornwall, the village prospered in the 19th Century as a centre of the wool-combing industry...
are others.
Toponymy
The derivation of the placename is unclear - the earliest known form is Bleselonde in 1284. This appears to include the Old EnglishOld English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
land meaning estate, the first element is however obscure. Ekwall mentions forms such as Bloiston from documents 1177-1198 and suggests that the first element is the same as in Blisland (with -ton as suffix) and that it is the original Celtic name (etym. dub.). Charles Henderson
Charles G. Henderson
Charles Gordon Henderson was a historian and antiquarian of Cornwall.Charles Henderson's only quarrel with Cornwall was that it had given him no more than a quarter of his blood. His father, Major J. S. Henderson, was half Scottish and half of the Irish family of Newenham: his mother was a...
in the Cornish Church Guide mentioned the older form as Bliston, thought to mean Heath-Town. In Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
(1086) the manor is entered as Gluston and so probably it was really Bluston from Anglo-Saxon times to the 12th century: then by 1284 the new 'Blisland' form was adopted.
History and antiquities
On Blisland Manor Common is the prehistoric stone circle known as the Trippet stonesTrippet stones
The Trippet stones or Trippet stones circle is a stone circle located on Manor Common in Blisland, north northeast of Bodmin on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, UK. The Stripple stones are nearby.-Description:...
; and on Hawkstor Down
Hawk's Tor
Hawk's Tor is a hill and tor on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, England, UK. Its summit is above sea level.The tor, which is in the civil parish of Blisland, is located north east of the town of Bodmin. The slopes of the tor contain Hawkstor Downs, the Stripple stones, a stone circle and Hawkstor Pit,...
a henge monument the Stripple stones
Stripple stones
The Stripple stones or Stripple stones circle is a stone circle located on the south slope of Hawk's Tor, north northeast of Bodmin on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, UK.-Description:...
. Blisland Manor House is 16th century with later alterations; Lavethan House mid-17th century; and the house at Trewardale 1773, enlarged 1839. Lavethan house (1653) incorporates parts of the 15th century. The archway was brought from another site. Early clapper bridges at Bradford and Poleys Bridge (on the River Camel
River Camel
The River Camel is a river in Cornwall, UK. It rises on the edge of Bodmin Moor and together with its tributaries drains a considerable part of North Cornwall. The river issues into the Celtic Sea area of the Atlantic Ocean between Stepper Point and Pentire Point having covered a distance of...
) built of granite in 1839 are also noteworthy. Blisland Manor was in the hands of the family of Billing for many years: they were also landowners at St Breward
St Breward
St Breward is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the western side of Bodmin Moor approximately 6 miles north of Bodmin.The parish name derives from Saint Branwalader...
and elsewhere. Trehudreth was the seat of the family of Lean among whose members was Sir John Maclean (originally John Lean). Trewardale is the seat of the family of Edward-Collins amongst whose members were General Charles Edward-Collins, High Sheriff of Cornwall
High Sheriff of Cornwall
High Sheriffs of Cornwall: a chronological list:Note: The right to choose High Sheriffs each year is vested in the Duchy of Cornwall, rather than the Privy Council, chaired by the Sovereign, which chooses the Sheriffs of all other English counties, other than those in the Duchy of...
and Brigadier Thurstan Edward-Collins.
Langdon (1896) records twelve stone crosses in the parish, of which one is at St Pratt's Well and four at Lavethan.
Churches and schools
Blisland Parish ChurchThe parish church (Norman with some later mediaeval work) is dedicated to Saints Hyacinth and Protus. (Locally the saint would be called St Pratt rather than Protus.) Dr Sidney J. Madge published in 1950 a good account of the church and its two patron saints entitled Blisland Church and its Patron Saints; a 2nd edition was issued in 1965 with a preface by John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
. Charles Henderson, writing in the Cornish Church Guide (1925) suggests that Lavethan (formerly Lanedewen) may record the original dedication of the church since the second element may be St Adwen (patron of Advent
Advent, Cornwall
Advent is a civil parish on the north-western edge of Bodmin Moor in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is named after St Adwenna and lies in the Registration District of Camelford....
). The present form of the dedication relies on identifying the St Pratt of tradition with St Protus Martyr.
The extensive restoration
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
includes work by Ninian Comper
Ninian Comper
Sir John Ninian Comper was a Scottish-born architect. He was one of the last of the great Gothic Revival architects, noted for his churches and their furnishings...
and F. C. Eden. According to Betjeman: "As a restoration and even improvement on a medieval church, this holy and peaceful place ... can hardly be bettered in the kingdom." In the church is the early 15th century brass of John Balsam, formerly rector here.
St Catherine's Church, Temple
At Temple
Temple, Cornwall
Temple is a hamlet in the parish of Blisland on Bodmin moor, Cornwall, UK. The hamlet is bypassed by the A30 road.-History and antiquities:...
is the church of St Catherine, originally also a parish church, but the parish of Temple was merged with Blisland in 1934.
Blisland Primary School
Blisland School is located just outside Blisland in a hamlet named Waterloo on the edge of Bodmin Moor.
Notable residents
- John MacLeanJohn MacLeanJohn MacLean may refer to:* John MacLean , US musician, formerly of Six Finger Satellite, now of The Juan MacLean* John MacLean , professional ice hockey player and coach...
, historian and genealogist - Churton Fairman (1924–1997), also known as Mike RavenMike RavenAustin Churton Fairman , who used the name Churton Fairman but was more widely known under the pseudonym Mike Raven in the 1960s and early 1970s, was a British radio disc jockey, actor, sculptor, sheep farmer, writer, TV presenter and producer, ballet dancer, flamenco guitarist and...
, radio DJ, sculptor and actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...